North Fulton County

Local police department warns people not to become victims of the ‘The Grinch’ this holiday season

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for criminals.

A recent survey found that 210 million packages vanished from porches across the US over the past 12 months.

“As the Christmas gift season gets into full swing, there will be a significant increase in packages on a porch,” Dr. Ben Stickle told the New York Post in a recent interview.

Stickle is a criminal justice and theft expert at the home security website Safewise, which conducted the research.

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That’s why the Johns Creek police are warning people to be on the lookout for “The Grinch” this holiday season.

In a video posted to their social media accounts, it shows the Grinch taking a package off the front porch of a house.

“Arrange for packages to be delivered when you’re home or have a neighbor pick them up for you,” the department said in the post. “If you see something, say something. Call 911 whenever you are inside the city limits.”

Just last year, Georgia made porch thefts a felony. If convicted, people could face up to five years in prison.

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